by WES FERGUSON
For the first time in several years, Shelton Stadium won’t be home to a 7-on-7 football league this summer.
The league, which drew teams like Dripping Springs, Wimberley, Akins and Bowie to play Lehman and Hays on their home turf, has been canceled. Rebels coach Blake Feldt, who had coordinated the summer action, said too many of his players are injured or tied up with recruiting camps to make an extended 7-on-7 season worthwhile for his program.
“7-on-7 has kind of become an animal of its own, and quite honestly, that’s not what 7-on-7 is for,” Feldt said. “With anything we do in the summer, spring, fall or winter, our whole deal is to spend our time wisely to get better and win football games. And I had some concern whether 7-on-7 is the best way to spend our time right now with the situation we have.”
Lehman and Hays are scheduled to compete in just one tournament this summer, the Red Bull Game Breakers Qualifier on June 19 at Five Mile Dam between Kyle and San Marcos. The schools are set to face about 20 other programs from the Austin and San Antonio areas for a chance to qualify for the Red Bull finals July 11-13 in Dallas.
The tournament isn’t a qualifier for the 64-team State 7-on-7 Tournament in College Station in July. Hays previously qualified for that tournament 2004-06, and in 2009 and 2011.
The Lobos were also scheduled to host Akins on Tuesday night, and Lehman head football coach Todd Raymond said he hopes to arrange other impromptu matchups and possibly sneak into a state-qualifier tournament if another team bails out.
“More than anything else, I want them to throw and catch and develop a relationship with each other,” Raymond said. “The most important thing is to get their timing down offensively.”
Lehman receiver Bradley Braxton said he’s disappointed his team won’t have a chance to seek revenge against Hays in the 7-on-7 local league after losing to the cross-town rival Rebels on what some felt was a controversial call by game officials last summer.
Cornerback Kyron Morisette, meanwhile, said it’s too bad he and his teammates will have fewer chances to compete against top squads from around the area.
“It definitely helped the receivers and defensive backs adjust to varsity speed last year,” he said.
Lehman’s 7-on-7 team will be led by student coaches from Texas State University, including Cedric Alexander, a senior cornerback for the Bobcats who played for Raymond at Stony Point High School in Round Rock.
Hays football dads John Kimbro and Larry Schaubhut are coaching the Rebels in 7-on-7 action.
The Rebels are without several major contributors including slot receiver Taven Mayberry, who broke his collarbone in Hays’ spring game, injured linebackers Devin Jennings and Holt Dickerson, receiver Hayden Cagle, who has a stress fracture in his foot, and Granger Studdard who is playing baseball, leaving quarterback Caleb Kimbro throwing passes to players who might not see action on Friday nights in the fall.
“When the varsity quarterback is playing with JV guys and you’re playing really good teams, is that really helping your football team?” Feldt said. “I don’t think it will help us get better.”
Instead, he said, his players will focus on getting bigger and stronger during strength and conditioning camps. Both Hays and Lehman athletic programs began their strength camps this week, drawing an estimated 150 student athletes at Hays and 180 at Lehman.
“Strength and conditioning are really key for us going into our season next year,” Feldt said. “We’ve got to get bigger and stronger to have an opportunity to beat the top three or four teams in the state to win a state championship.”